I do not own The Loud House. All rights belong to Nickelodeon.

Chapter 5

Everyone got ready for bed, and it was Lynn and Lucy's turn to have Lincoln tonight. Lynn had long-awaited to have the comfort of her dear brother and to have a night with no nightmares to haunt her. Lynn and Lucy waited patiently as Lincoln said goodnight to all his other sisters – Lynn gently rubbed the beads on her dreamcatcher bracelet.

Then Lincoln entered their bedroom and pressed the button to make their beds come together. As he got comfortable in bed, Lynn squeezed him a hug and nuzzled her face in his chest. Lincoln gently rubbed her back and shoulders. Lucy held Lincoln's arm but allowed him to hold her hand as their thumbs rubbed circles together.

"I'd ask if you're doing okay, but I have a feeling the answer is no," Lincoln said.

"I'm fine," Lynn said.

"No, you're not, Lynn," Lucy said.

"What's going on?" Lincoln asked.

Lynn let out a heavy sigh, "I've been getting nightmares . . . but they're not the ones from the visions you showed us. They're . . . different," Lynn said.

"Different, how?" Lincoln questioned.

Lynn hesitantly answered, "It's hard to explain. Can we not talk about it? Not yet, anyway."

"You sure?"

"Yes, please. I just want to have a good night's sleep with no nightmares."

Lincoln looked over at Lucy, and she shrugged. With that, they went to sleep.

Lynn's dream

"Lynn? Lynn!" Lincoln shook her.

Lynn was startled as she woke up. When she did and looked at Lincoln, she saw that he was all grown up. He was tall, strong, and handsome. He had it all: strong buff arms, manly pecks, broad shoulders, hot layered hair, and a neatly cropped beard. His navy blue collared sweater showed his strong built figure. Lynn couldn't help but stare.

Lincoln raised an eyebrow, "What? There something on my face?"

"Ugh," Lynn shook her head, "Sorry, I—sorry. What is it? Do you need something?"

"Yeah, I need help setting up the table. Luan, Leni, and Dad are cooking dinner in the kitchen. Everyone's outside with the kids. They're playing, having fun, and whatever. Dinner's almost ready, and I need help setting up the table. So, come on," Lincoln explained.

Lynn got up and looked around. The house they were in wasn't the house they grew up in. It was bigger and more excellent. It was so clean and smelled wonderful. All the rooms had Christmas decorations and a beautiful tree with all its ornaments. Lynn looked through the window to see her siblings playing in the snow with kids who looked like them. Two of them had snow-white hair like Lincoln, and one looked like Lynn with darker hair! Lynn's eyes glistened at the little girl.

Lynn took a moment to look at herself. She looked good. Athletic, healthy, and wearing blue jeans with a red sweater. She wasn't a hobo! Lynn gasped with joy and almost cried. She turned to her brother, who had his back turned. Lynn dashed over and squeezed him a hug.

"Whoa, whoa! Easy there, Lynnester. What's with you?" Lincoln asked, turning to her.

"I'm just—I'm just so happy we're here together," Lynn answered with a joyful smile.

"Uh . . . okay. I'm happy that you are and that you have Christmas spirit. You're still going to help me, right?"

"Yeah, yeah, of course."

She and Lincoln set the table. Lynn just listened the whole time Lincoln talked about work or what was happening in his life. She didn't hang on too much to what he was saying. She was just enjoying hearing his voice and seeing him like this. After the table was done and set, Lincoln sat on the couch to relax while waiting for dinner to be ready. He put on Dr. Seuss's 'The Grinch' – the old 1966 animated classic. A stereo played Christmas music, and scented candles were lit – all were Christmas-seasoned. Lynn sat on his lap with an arm around his shoulder, relishing his company and where she was. Everything was and looked amazing. The house, the silverware, the food that was getting ready, the Christmas tree, and both her and her brother.

"You all right, Lynn? You're happier than usual?" Lincoln asked as he held his sister.

Lynn shook her head, "I'm just happy to be here, that's all."

Lincoln smiled and rested his head on her shoulder while Lynn rested her cheek on his head. Lynn quietly inhaled his head to smell his fantastic shampoo and conditioner.

'God, his hair is so silky and soft. It smells as good as his cologne,' Lynn thought.

"Is this the only good Grinch movie?" Lincoln asked.

Lynn looked at him and then at the TV screen at the movie. Lynn shrugged, "I don't know. What's wrong with the other ones?"

"What's wrong with the other—? Lynn, this is the only Grinch movie that got the story right! The other ones messed it up," Lincoln stated.

"How did the other ones mess it up?" Lynn questioned with a half chuckle.

"Well, for starters, this one is true to the original source material. It doesn't have any BS humor that only toddlers would laugh at, and it stays true to leaving the Grinch's reason for hating Christmas a mystery. Neither this movie nor the book ever explains why he hates Christmas, so it's totally left to our imagination. The other dumb movies fill it in with answers," Lincoln explained.

Lynn shrugged, "I kinda like Jim Carrey's version. The later animated one with Benedict Cumberbatch isn't my favorite, but it's innocent enough."

"That one is the worst. The reason why he hates Christmas is so vague and hard to follow. I'll admit, the one with Jim Carrey is still dumb, but at least you understand his anger and hatred. He was mocked at the happiest time of the year, but some things are better left as a mystery. Half of the fun in some stories is the mystery," Lincoln objected.

Lynn played with Lincoln's face, "Oh, like your comics? Of your sisters as The Full Deck? Like that? Huh?"

Lincoln chuckled a laugh, and Lynn laughed, too, as she nuzzled in his hair.

However, their happy moment was interrupted by a scream. Lynn lifted her head alert, "Wha?"

The screaming grew louder and louder, and then everything disappeared.

End of Lynn's dream (Abruptly)

Lynn woke up in her room back in the present day with Lincoln and Lynn in bed. However, Lincoln quickly pulled the blanket off and rushed out of bed and out of their bedroom. She heard screaming from the twins' bedroom before Lynn could say or ask anything. Lynn and Lucy got up and went to investigate the screaming. When they got to the hallway, they also saw their older sisters up.

Inside the twins' room was Lola sitting in Lana's bed, holding her twin sister close. Lana finally woke up, and when she did, she started crying. She held her head as the tears ran down her face. Lincoln and Lola held her close while rocking her gently back and forth.

"Lana, it's okay. It was just a dream. It was just a dream," Lola assured with a worried look.

"Shh, we're here, Lana. We're here," Lincoln said.

"I dreamed (sniffs) about the gators again. Only (gasp) you weren't there, Lincoln. You weren't there to save me (sobs) and . . . and they got me," Lana sobbed, "It was so horrible."

"Shh, shh, shh, it was only a dream. Nothing's going to hurt you, Lana. I promise. We're never going to let anything bad happen to you. Not on my watch," Lincoln promised and kissed her head.

The other sisters all joined in on the hug. Lynn's smile was gone, and she felt bummed out as she returned to reality.

'That was all just a dream. It wasn't really happening, was it?' Lynn thought.

Lynn wanted to believe that sleeping next to Lincoln would give her a peek into the future, but she didn't think her luck was that good. 'Luck' how she hated that word. No doubt Lincoln loathed that word even more. Also, if that were true, then wouldn't her nightmares of her ending up as a hobo mean that . . . ? Lynn didn't want to finish that question. She didn't want to believe that she'd end up as a jobless loser with no future, but after everything she did to Lincoln and everyone around her, she felt that she'd deserve such a fate. Especially with what she could have done to him.

Just thinking about that and wondering if she'll actually be okay in the future made her feel so bad that she felt like throwing up. Her head felt light and like it was on fire.

'What am I going to do? Sports made me into an overcompetitive monster. I wouldn't be able to handle losing one game that'd blame it all on Lincoln and cause so many other problems that would inevitably ruin the whole family? Their lives? Their future?' Lynn thought.

Now that Lynn thought about it, her luck rituals were really over the top. Her lucky dances, the smelly clothes, not going number 2 until you're number 1, running around Vanzilla, etc.

'Why did I come up with so many of them? I feel so stupid. My teammates probably can't stand me. Maybe they're better off without me . . . or at least without all the luck rituals. Maybe I can do just fine without the luck crap, right?' Lynn thought

Lana laid back down, but when Lincoln got up and was about to leave to get Lana a glass of water, she grabbed his hand.

"Wait. Lincoln, can you stay with me tonight?" Lana requested.

Lynn's eyes widened, and her heart sank. In one moment, she saw her hobo self, and all the hair on her body stood straight, giving her goosebumps, and her pupils shrank. Lucy turned and noticed that.

"No, no! It's our turn tonight," Lynn objected.

"Please, Lynn. I'm so scared," Lana begged.

Lynn rushed over and held Lincoln's other hand, "No, no, no, no. Please, no. I-I-I can't. Not tonight."

Lincoln and his sister's eyes widened as she watched Lynn trying to speak with her stuttering voice, and her hand was shaking frantically.

"I-I-I-I've been waiting for my turn to have Lincoln and-and . . . I need him," Lynn stuttered.

"Lynn?" Lincoln asked.

"So, please, can-can you just hold for one more night? Just one more night? Please?" Lynn asked.

"I don't want to be alone!" Lana cried as she hugged Lincoln's arm.

Lynn wrapped her arms around Lincoln from behind, holding him close. Lynn inhaled and exhaled labored breaths through her nose. This surprised everyone as they all gave extremely pensive looks.

Lynn whispered with a broken voice in Lincoln's ear, "Please, please, please, Lincoln. I need you. Please, I don't want any nightmares. Please, don't leave me. Please."

Lincoln shifted his deeply concerned eyes at everyone. They had the same look on their faces. They knew as well as Lincoln that something was up with Lynn.

"Okay! Okay, okay. How about this? I take Lana and Lynn tonight. Lucy can sleep either with Lola or the other sisters, so she's not alone. If not, then we can use Lana's mattress, and we can put hers and Lynn's on the floor so all four of us are sleeping together. How about that?" Lincoln proposed.

"I need Lincoln. So, let's go with the second option," Lucy said.

"Uh, I don't want this room all to myself. So, Lori, can I sleep with you and Leni tonight? I know, I'm not Lincoln, but is it okay anyway?" Lola requested.

"Of course you can," Leni answered warmly.

Lola went with Lori and Leni while Lincoln and Lynn brought Lana's mattress to her and Lucy's room. Everyone got comfortable and drifted to sleep. Lynn and Lana held Lincoln close, not wanting to let go. Lucy lay close to Lana, gently stroking her hair. Even in the dark, Lincoln and Lucy could see each other. Lincoln glanced at Lynn, looked back at Lucy, and shook his head. Lucy shook her head, too. They both knew there was something Lynn wasn't telling anyone. The same goes for the others.

After Lola got comfortable in between Lori and Leni with the beds together, she took this chance to ask her sisters, "I'm not the only one who noticed something strange with Lynn, right?"

"Yeah, I noticed, too. Something is totes wrong with Lynn. She was just as scared as Lana was," Leni agreed, "Why was she so scared?"

"Maybe it was her nightmares of guilt over what could have happened with the bad luck thing. Maybe she's feeling awful about it, and she feels she really needs a night with no nightmares," Lori theorized.

"I don't know. I got a feeling it's something else . . . like she's not telling us something," Lola said.

"Maybe Lincoln knows or can find out with his future vision powers," Leni proposed.

"Whatever it is, we're not gonna worry about it right now. We'll talk to Lincoln about this later. Tomorrow, we have to worry about the trial. We'll talk to Lincoln about Lynn later. Let's try to get some sleep," Lori stated.

With that, everyone went to sleep. Lynn was bummed out because when she went to sleep, she didn't return to her pleasant dream of the family together for Christmas. Lynn really hoped that it wasn't a dream but a shared vision of the future. However, Lynn felt she shouldn't kid herself, given her past treatment of others. Her fears of what grim future awaited her filled with anxiety.

Later

The day in court had finally arrived. Lincoln's family and friends came, including Clyde, Ronnie Anne, Stella, and his school friends Liam, Zach, and Rusty. His sisters' friends, including Bobbie, Sam, and Benny, also came. Lincoln dressed appropriately for the day in court with a suit and tie – Rita helped tie it for him. Lincoln felt nervous and a bizarre sense of déjà vu. He's had many visions of himself in court testifying against his family for the bad luck incident. It was weird to be defending them to keep the family together and even more strange not to see his parents and Lynn in orange prison jumpsuits.

What Lincoln and the Loud family didn't know was that Future Lincoln put the parents' lawyer to sleep, switched his cloaking device to disguise mode, and made himself look like their lawyer.

"Who would've thought I'd defend the people who abandoned, neglected, and abused me in my own timeline? I comb the universe for power crystals to travel back in time and change everyone's fate so that we can be a normal family. Life is a strange thing. If God's real, he's an asshole brat who either toys with people's lives or he's too fucking lazy to make things right," Future Lincoln said to himself as he straightened his necktie in front of the mirror.

Everyone got ready in the courtroom before the judge walked in. Lincoln was called to the stand and swore the oath – to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.

The prosecutor started, "Lincoln Loud, how many sisters do you have?"

"I have ten. Five older sisters and five younger sisters," Lincoln answered.

"Must be pretty crowded at home," the prosecutor said.

"It can be," Lincoln replied.

"Despite having that many sisters, do you live in a safe home environment?"

"I uh—yes, I would think so."

"You think so?"

"Yes."

"Do you and your sisters fight?"

Lincoln glanced at his sisters before answering, "Sometimes."

"Have you ever gotten hurt by your sisters?" the prosecutor asked.

"Sometimes, yes, but they never mean to—"

"Let's talk about how you got to the hospital. You ran away, right?"

"Yes, I did."

"Why?"

Lincoln paused before letting out a heavy sigh, "The Sister Fight Protocol was in effect."

"Ah, yes. The Sister Fight Protocol. That's the system your sisters came with whenever they fight, correct?" the prosecutor asked.

Lincoln nodded, "Yes."

"And this is the same system where they wouldn't let you have access to the kitchen when you were hungry, or the bathroom when you needed to use the toilet, or even your own bedroom, right?"

"Yes, they keep whichever sisters that are fighting as far away within the house as possible, and it was never fair to me. They a threat level of how bad it gets."

"So, when it gets bad, that's when they fight, right?"

"Yes, sometimes they lose their tempers."

"Have you ever gotten caught in the crossfire of their fights?"

Lincoln sighed, "Yes, I have."

As they continued, the girls' guilt sank deeper and deeper into their cores, filling them with shame. Some of the people, including the jury, were giving sideways looks.

"And what do your parents do when your sisters fight?" the prosecutor questioned.

Lincoln hesitantly answered, "Nothing."

The people and jury groaned in surprise with quiet commentary.

"They do nothing?" the prosecutor asked.

"When it gets bad at erupting volcano level, they just lock themselves in their bedroom with Lily, our youngest, and just wait it out like a storm," Lincoln explained.

"They don't intervene or punish and discipline your sisters in any way?"

"No . . . they get off scot-free and pretend it didn't happen."

"So, when your sisters fight, and it gets bad, it's basically a free-for-all where anyone can get seriously hurt, including you?" the prosecutor asked.

Lincoln nodded, "To put it bluntly, yes."

The parents looked away with deep guilt and shame as everyone gave them and the sisters dirty looks.

"Nothing further," the prosecutor said.

Then, the parents' lawyer, aka Future Lincoln, stood up.

"Lincoln, what was your plan when the Sister Fight Protocol was in effect?" Future Lincoln asked.

"I was going to hide at a friend's place and wait it out," Lincoln answered.

"Why did you buy a bus ticket for Great Lake City?"

"My closest and best friend Clyde was on vacation in Hawaii, and my friend Stella was out of town with her mom. I didn't know where my other friends from school lived. So, I bought a bus ticket to go to Great Lake City to see my friend Ronnie Anne."

Future Lincoln rubbed his chin in thought before speaking, "So . . . you went through the trouble of getting a bus ticket to hide out at a friend's place?"

"Yes," Lincoln answered.

"Did you try talking to your parents about how serious the situation was with your sisters?"

"Yes, in the past, I've reached out to them numerous times!"

"In the past or that night? Did you reach out to your parents that night?"

Lincoln hesitantly answered, "No, I didn't."

"Did you ask them if you could hide with them in their bedroom that night?"

"No, I thought it wouldn't have mattered. They probably would have locked me out."

"They probably would have? You assumed rather than reached out to your parents?"

"My parents have let me down too many times before when I needed them. They have punished me while my sisters have gotten no punishment."

"So, you didn't trust them to do anything?"

"I couldn't trust them."

"And you expected them to know you were scared of your sisters without telling them?"

Lincoln froze without knowing what to say. Then, they talked about Lincoln's life in the Loud family. This got his friends' attention and everyone else's.

"Lincoln, are you close with your parents?" the prosecutor asked.

"No," Lincoln answered bluntly.

"Do your parents bond with you at all?"

"My mother sometimes, but not my dad."

"Your dad never taught you how to play catch or sports?"

"No, my older sister Lynn did. She's the athlete of the family. So, she taught me how to play basketball and a few other sports."

"Did your dad ever take you fishing or hunting?"

"No, my sister Lana taught me how to fish and catch frogs, among other critters like turtles, bugs, and even small snakes. We caught a chipmunk one time."

"Did your mother ever teach you stuff about girls?"

"No, my older sister Lori did. She explained to me where babies come from, and she's given me dating advice."

"Did your mother ever teach you how to cook or bake?"

"No, my older sister Luan taught me how to bake. Her and my older sisters Leni and Lori taught me a little of cooking, but I mainly learned to cook from my best friend Clyde and his dads."

Clyde nodded with a smile and looked at his dads with pride.

"Did your father ever teach you how to pick your fights carefully or how to defend yourself from bullies?" the prosecutor asked.

Lincoln shook his head, "No, my sister Lynn did."

"Your father plays saxophone. Did he ever teach you how to play a musical instrument?"

"No, Luna did. She taught me how to play drums and a little bit of guitar and bass. I'm good at drums but not as good at guitar and bass as she is."

Luna raised her eyebrow and whispered to her sisters, "Good? Are you kidding me, dude? He's a great drummer, and he's good at guitar. Not as good as me, but still good."

"Your mother is writing a book, is that right?" the prosecutor asked.

"Yes," Lincoln answered.

"And—" the prosecutor picked up a paper with a picture of Lincoln's comic book Full Deck, "—you made a comic book with your best friend Clyde. Has your mother ever bonded with you about stories, characters, or comics?"

"No."

"She didn't give you any advice about characters or asked for your advice for her book?"

"Well, no, but one time she took me with her to where she works at the dentist, and I accidentally ruined the draft she was working on. I was really sorry about it, but she was okay with it because she didn't really like how it was, but she got new ideas based on me and what happened that day," Lincoln explained.

"But it was just that one time, right?"

Lincoln hung his head down, "Yeah."

Rita covered her eyes and softly sobbed. Lynn Sr.'s eyes watered as he took several deep breaths to avoid crying.

"Did your parents ever take you somewhere to have fun? Just you and them without your sisters?"

"No."

"What about your sisters? Did they?"

"Yes, they did and do. They always made time for them and their activities."

"And what about your sisters? Did they spend time with you? To bond with their only brother?"

"In the past, yeah. There were times when they did stuff for me."

"So, is it fair to say that you were more raised by your sisters than your actual parents?"

Lincoln nodded, "Yeah, sometimes they're my sisters, and sometimes they're my mothers. It's weird, I know, but they've been there for me when I needed them."

"But not your parents?"

"Not really, no."

"Nothing further."

"We have nothing to offer, your honor," Future Lincoln stated.

Later

The prosecutor was quiet for a while until he looked up and asked, "Lincoln, you spend a lot of time with Clyde McBride, right?"

"He's my best friend," Lincoln replied.

"He and his dads taught you how to cook and bake. You spend a lot of time together playing video games, watching shows like ARGGH! and Operation Dessert Storm, and you two read comic books like Ace Savvy and David Steele. You two even made a comic book, The Full Deck, right?"

Lincoln nodded, "Yes."

"You're always welcomed at the McBride house, right?"

"Of course, always."

"They have a spare bedroom for you, and you've slept over there occasionally whenever you hang out with Clyde. In fact, you hardly even need to ask if you can go over to their place. They're like a second family to you, aren't they?"

"They are family. Clyde's my brother. Maybe not in blood, but by bond. His dads are wonderful and kind. In all honesty, the world would be a better place if there were more people like the McBrides."

Those words tugged Clyde and his dads' heartstrings. To hear such kind words filled them with pride and joy. However, Rita and Lynn Sr. felt both jealousy and shame that their son was speaking of such high praise about other people and not them. It pained them that their one and only son was not proud of his parents.

"Yeah, that's what I want to ask," the prosecutor went back to one of the folders on his table, "The McBrides have a home security system with automated doors which can be unlocked by either a key or by entering a passcode. There are five people in existence who know the code to get into their house. Clyde McBride, his dads, Clyde's grandmother Gayle," then he closed the folder, "And you."

Lincoln squinted his eyes in confusion as he glanced back and forth between him and everyone else.

"I don't understand where you're going with this," Lincoln said.

"Get to the point," the judge declared.

"Clyde and his dads were on vacation in Hawaii when you ran away during the Sister Fight Protocol. However, regardless of that, you could still get into their house. You could have walked there, entered inside, and called the McBrides and told them what was happening at your house, and they would have understood, right?" the prosecutor asked.

"Yeah, they would. Probably," Lincoln said.

"Then why go through the trouble of getting a bus ticket to Great Lake City?"

Lincoln said nothing and didn't know how to answer, but he didn't have to at that point.

"I'll tell you why," the prosecutor said, "You weren't planning to go there just to hide out from your angry sisters. You were going there because you wanted to get as far away from your family as possible and try to get adopted by another family."

Lincoln's family's eyes widened as they softly gasped. The prosecutor grabbed the remote and showed screenshots of the text messages between him and Ronnie Anne. Lincoln felt like he was on thin ice.

The prosecutor read out loud:

Ronnie Anne: Be sure to ditch your phone before you get on the bus. I'll be waiting for you at the bus station."

Lincoln: Are you sure your family will be okay with me?

Ronnie Anne: Trust me. Once you get here and we tell them about your family, they'll help us. Best case scenario, they'll adopt you on the spot and handle the paperwork of getting you a new identity. We start a whole new life here in the city together. Worst case scenario, they send you to a foster home or an orphanage. Either way, there's no way they'll send you back to your family, and that's good. Have you thought of a new name?

Lincoln: If your family adopts me, I'm going with Leon Desean Santiago.

Lincoln looked down but could feel his family and friends' eyes on him, shocked and astonished. Bobby turned to Ronnie Anne wide-eyed, and she turned and looked away with her arms crossed.

"Lincoln, when someone feels that their life is in danger or that things are never going to get better, they try to get as far away as possible," the prosecutor stated and then turned to the jury, "This wasn't something caught in the moment. Lincoln Loud planned this. He planned with his friend Ronnie Anne. His parents were so afraid of their own daughters that they wouldn't put their foot down to protect their own son. Lincoln realized this and knew it would only get worse from there. So, what did he do? With no other options, he planned his escape from this hostile home. As much as he loves the McBrides, he couldn't go to them because their home was within walking distance from his house. His family would have found there. That would have been the first place that they would have looked for him."

Then he marched over to Lincoln, "That's why your backpack had your personal belongings, clothes, snacks, soap, a knife, a map of Great Lake City, and a guide on how to be on your own. Your back was against the wall, and you did what you felt you had to do. You ran away to get away from the neglectful parents and abusive sisters so you wouldn't get hurt anymore. Is that right, Lincoln?"

Lincoln knew full well how much his answer would break his family's hearts and how much the public would hate his family for it. He swallowed with a lump in his throat, and a few tears went down his cheek.

"Yes . . . that's right. I was scared, and I didn't know what to do. I didn't want the people I love to hurt me anymore. Days like . . . the Sister Fight Protocol are bad days, and I didn't want to live with that anymore," Lincoln spoke with a hoarse voice. He took a few breaths and spoke again, "I knew running away would hurt them, but . . . I couldn't stay there. I had to get away, and I . . . I didn't tell them anything because I thought like time and time again, they wouldn't help me. So, I ran away to try and get to Great Lake City to start over."

Seeing and hearing all this was tearing his family's hearts apart. Lynn Sr. covered his face as he quietly sobbed, and Rita covered her mouth as she cried. The sisters especially all teared up, for they knew the real reasons why their dear brother tried to run away.

"We humans are very social creatures, but there are times when we need to be alone. We need our space. We need the quiet. My parents wouldn't give me that as they dragged me to all my sisters' activities," Lincoln explained as he wiped his eyes, "That's one of the reasons why I love it so much at Clyde's place. I come there and eat dinner with Clyde and his dads. They would ask me about my day and show care and concern for my well-being as much as Clyde's. I could talk to them. Being with them, at their place, it felt . . . like I could breathe. There was no noise, no fighting, no arguing, no . . . feeling like I was left out. I wanted to live in a place with people where I could breathe, feel welcomed, and feel safe. There were times when my house didn't feel like that. I just . . . I just needed to get away from it all."

The prosecutor left a long pause before he asked, "Lincoln, that place you are talking about, most people call that home. Did the McBrides' place feel like home to you?"

Lincoln nodded, "Yes."

"If you made it to the bus to Great Lake City, would Santiago and Casagrande's place feel like home?"

"I'm sure it would," Lincoln answered.

"Nothing further," the prosecutor said.

The judge looked at Lincoln and his family, seeing their emotional condition.

"We will take a break in recession and resume afterward," the judge declared.

Lincoln entered an empty meeting room where his family and lawyer followed. The sisters wasted no time as they group-hugged their brother and couldn't hold back their tears. Rita and Lynn Sr. were in an even worse state.

"Lincoln, we're so sorry! We didn't know!" Leni wept.

"It's okay, girls," Lincoln said.

"No! It's not okay! Lincoln, you need to tell us things. If we're overbearing or making you feel left out, you need to tell us," Lori stated.

"You can talk to us, bro. We're your family," Luna said.

"I know, and you guys have gotten better since I came out of the hospital," Lincoln said.

Lola and Lana approached Lincoln teary-eyed.

"You don't still want to leave, do you?" Lola asked.

"Please don't leave," Lana begged.

"I'm not leaving you girls. I promise," Lincoln assured.

The girls hugged him again. Lincoln hugged them back while giving them gentle, warm kisses.

"Girls," Rita spoke. They turned to her, and she requested through her tears, "May I please hold my son?"

The girls glanced at Lincoln, and he nodded it was okay. Rita and Lynn Sr. squeezed their son into a warm hug. Lincoln gently shushed them as they cried while hugging them back. He had mixed feelings during that embrace. While he relished being in his parents' arms and appreciated that they realized the error of their ways and flawed parenting, especially to him, it really felt it was so overdue that it was practically too late.

"Lincoln, we're so sorry!" Rita wept.

"Shh, it'll be all right," Lincoln replied.